Crime · Modesto, CA
Favian Marcos Ramirez, 28, pleaded guilty Oct. 8 in Stanislaus County Superior Court to first-degree murder and robbery in the July 9, 2019 shooting death of Cinnamon Eades at Liberty Adult Books, 1030 Kansas Ave., Modesto. Prosecutors said Ramirez shot Eades three times during a robbery in which approximately $45 was stolen; he faces life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 20 at 1:30 p.m. before Judge Linda McFadden. The plea came more than seven years after the killing and just 12 days before a jury trial was set to begin.
Local Politics · Stanislaus County
Stanislaus County residents who are unregistered must register by Monday, Oct. 19 to receive a vote-by-mail ballot for the Nov. 3 general election, according to County Clerk, Recorder and Registrar of Voters Donna Linder. Registration is available online at www.stanvote.gov or by mailing a paper affidavit postmarked by Oct. 19 to the Elections Office at 1021 I St, Modesto. Those who miss the mail deadline can still register in person through election day at the Elections Office or any Vote Center location. Registered voters needing a replacement vote-by-mail ballot must request one by Oct. 27. Eligible voters must be U.S. citizens, California residents, not incarcerated, and at least 18 years old on Nov. 3.
Local Politics
Republican groups have spent over $4.34 million this year backing former Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln against Democratic Rep. Adam Gray in California's 13th Congressional District, which stretches from Stockton down State Route 99 to Merced. The Congressional Leadership Fund's spending dwarfs the House Majority PAC's under-$400,000 investment in the race, per filings as of Oct. 11. GOP ads attack Gray over his 2017 vote for a state gas tax increase and allege he profited from a $100 million road project in Merced County; Gray has disclosed receiving more than $366,000 from a construction company owned by his cousin. Lincoln emphasizes cost-cutting, public safety, and border policy, while Gray promotes bipartisan legislation including telehealth access and geothermal energy bills co-authored with Republican colleagues. The Cook Political Report moved the race from "toss-up" to "lean Dem" in January following California's Prop. 50 redistricting.
Community News · San Joaquin County
A Central Valley Journalism Collaborative investigation found roughly 1,300 fast-food and coffee drive-through lanes across the San Joaquin Valley, where idling vehicles emit hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and other pollutants. In San Joaquin County, 197 drive-throughs operate, with 96 in Stockton; Stanislaus County has 188, including 102 in Modesto. The Valley remains a federal nonattainment region for ozone and PM 2.5, yet no regional or state air quality regulator has specifically studied the contribution of drive-through idling to that pollution. Researchers note that while individual emissions are small, concentrated exposure at restaurant sites affects drivers, employees at pickup windows, diners inside, and nearby pedestrians.
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Local Business · Modesto, CA
Total Wine & More is now open at 3900 Sisk Road in Modesto, with a grand opening celebration set for Oct. 22 and daily hours of 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. The store carries over 8,000 wines, 3,000 spirits, 2,500 beers, cigars, and hosts educational events. Four other businesses recently opened in Modesto: Nami-No Restaurant & Catering (Middle Eastern kabobs, Sept. 28), Daily Donut (Aug. 23), Wormhole Comics & Cards (Sept. 19), and Pinnacle Gymnastics (September). The openings follow a chain of retail moves on Sisk Road, including Big Lots closing in 2025 and Ashley Homestore relocating.
Social Events · Modesto, CA
Voting for the 27th annual Modesto Area Music Association (MAMA) Awards closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, with more than 150 nominees across multiple genres. The invitation-only awards ceremony will be held Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the State Theatre in Modesto, with a free public livestream beginning at 6:30 p.m. on the ModestoView website. This year's lifetime achievement award honors former Ceres resident Jim Burgett, and live performances include Grupo Ajedrez, Zepp, Tiny Danger, Johnny Valdez Trio, Mattea Overstreet, Odd Eights, Girls Smash Guitars with Cruiser Fox from the Modesto Roadsters, and Patty Castillo Davis.
